Popular social media app TikTok may be banned in the United States over national security concerns, according to a report from Reuters.
“I don’t want to get out in front of the President, but it’s something we’re looking at,” Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told Fox News in an interview.
TikTok is a free social media app owned by China-based ByteDance that allows you to create and share short videos from your phone. The app has come under fire by U.S. lawmakers for mishandling user data, with critics saying he's worried the platform is funneling private information to the Chinese Communist Party.
Pompeo warned Americans that unless they want the CCP to have their private information, he would not recommend downloading the app.
“We have no higher priority than promoting a safe and secure app experience for our users. We have never provided user data to the Chinese government, nor would we do so if asked,” TikTok claimed in an email statement to Reuters.
Interestingly, the app is not available in China.
This announcement comes after India banned TikTok among 58 other China-based apps from their market following a clash at their borders. TikTok also announced that they would be removing themselves from the Hong Kong market after the passage of the new Chinese national security law.